Poultry processing method



Jan. 19, 1965 Filed Dec. 27, 1960 W. A. HERRMANN POULTRY PROCESSING METHOD 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

Wll l l A. H ERRMANN ATTO RNEYS Jan. 19, 1965 w. A. HERRMANN POULTRY PROCESSING METHOD 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 27, 1960 FIG] FIGS

INVENTOR. WILLI A. HERRMANN ATTO RNEYS the process;

United States Patent 3,166,427 POULTRY PROCESSING METHOD Willi A. Herrmann, 4612 W. Pratt Ave, Lincolnwood, Ill. Filed Dec. 27, 1960, Set. N0. 78,611 4 Claims (Cl. 99-194) This invention is directed to new and useful improvements in the processing of meat and is particularly concerned with improvements which allow the sale of poultry meat in package form such that it may be stored in a refrigerator for a period of several weeks or more while retaining flavor and texture and at the same time allowing the package to be removed periodically for use as either cold meat or cooked meat.

A major purpose of the present invention is the creation of a process for preparing poultry meat in such a fashion that the meat may be served easily as cold meat or may be heated and then served, the process being such that the meat is packaged without bones, that the meat retains moisture content for a comparatively long period of time in an unfrozen section of a refrigerator with no harsh or typically preserved flavor while at the same time being such that tying of meat sections in the completed package is unnecessary.

Other purposes will appear from time to time in the course of the ensuing specification and claims when taken with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a typical fowl before processing in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of a fowl and treated as a preliminary part of the process of the present invention;

FIGURE 3 is a diagrammatic view of certain portions V of the fowl illustrated in FIGURE 2; k a FIGURE 4 is a diagrammatic View of another step in the process;

3,166,427 Patented Jan. 19, 1965 of the present invention it is preferred to separate the meat of the bird into just as few chunks or individual pieces as possible.

After the aforementioned relatively large chunks or pieces of meat are separated from the bird, they are placed in a brine solution for soaking. The amount of salt in the brine solution can be varied in accordance with individual tastes and desires, although a salt content of approximately by volume of the solution is satisfactory. Various types of seasoningsmay be added to the brine solution to also suit individual tastes and desires. After the meat has soaked in the brine solution for a period of time long enough for the brine and seasoning to pass into the meat, the meat is removed from the brine and is thereafter placed in a mold section 20. A sheet of wrapping paper or the like 21 is placed in the lower half of l the mold 20 and the brine soaked chunks of meat are which the masking sheet 21 is wrapped around the completed body of meat thus formed. The skin sections 14 and 15 may be browned by a slight cooking thereof so as to enhance the appearance of the finished product.

After the meat is placed in the lower half of the mold section 20 and the wrapping sheet 21 isdisposed therei 1 types of'molds may be employed in the process and the 7 FIGURE 5 is a diagrammatic view of another step in v I the process;

FIGURE 6 is a diagrammatic view of anotherstep in FIGURE 7' is a diagrammatic view of the process of the present invention; 7 FIGURE 8 is adiagrammatic view of another step in the process of the present invention; and l another step in age from the present invention.

Like elements are designated bylike characters throughcass 'of poultry which may be,i, for example, a turkey body. In accordance with the present invention, the limbs of the carcass are first removedasis shown in FIG- URE2, thereby leaving somegaps l2 and 13 in the skin of the bird. The skin of the carcass is then removed.

aroundas appears in FIGURE 5, the second half of the mold 22 is brought down within the first half of the mold 20 so as to compress the meat into a generally cylindrical form or a form rather elliptical in cross section. Various showing of the molds 20 and 22 in FIGURES 4-8 is only intended to be representative of one type of mold that is suitable in the process. Furthermore, various shapes of molds are possible so as to compress the meat into other a of molds are quite permissible in the process.

Whenthe'skin is desired to be used with the finished product it is desirable to remove the skin in such fashion as to form relatively large sheets as appears diagrammatically at 14--and 15 in FIGURE 3. After skinning the "earcass, the major portion-of themeat'is removed from the bones.

For example,- the breast of a turkey may be separated from the breast bone and formed intorelatively FIGURE 9 is a perspective view of the completed pack- 45 The pressure used in forming the chunks of meat should be such as to form asnbstantially regular, shape of the composite assembled meat body without destroying the. T fibrous and cellular nature of the meat. "the range of 30 to70 pounds total force exerted on mold sections approximately 1 foot long with a width of 5 inches are satisfactory. Locking devices'22d and ZZb on the mold sections may be used to maintain the pressure of the mold on the meat mass therein. After the two mold sections are placed together, the

completed mold is then placedin a cooking vessel 23 as f appears in FIGURE 7. As shown in FIGURE 7, the

cooking vessel contains a body of waterwhich is then brought to' a temperature in the range of'approximately 170 to a boiling temperature. meat are left in the cooking vessel 23 under the pressure of the mold sections until theinternal temperature of the meat reaches approximately F. I At this" point the mold is removed from the cooking vessel 23 and placed a refrigerator as at 24 in FIGURE 8 until a 40 F. internal temperature of the molded meat is attained, the

mold still holding the mass under pressure. Thereafter the molded meat is removed from the mold, the Visking paper may be removed, and the meat is subjected to temperatures below freezing and for a period of time sufii- Pressures in The mold and the order of approximately 40 'F. The meat may be sliced off the'roll for use as cold meat or may be warmed or subjected to some cooking process to allow the serving 7 thereof as cooked meat.

The meat thus formed may be packaged as packages of all white meat, all dark meat or a mixed package of white and dark meat.

In use the product has a flavor susbtantially the same as roast turkey. Notying of individual meat sections toge her is required. The juices of the meat are retained for an extremely long period of time in a refrigerator.

As formed, the meat maintains its molded form when kept in the conventional refrigerator and does not fall apart during use thereof.

In a typical example of the process, the dressed carcass of a turkey has the limbs removed therefrom as appears in FIGURE 2. The skin of the-turkey is then removed.

The breast meat of the turkey is then removed from the form in cross section. The wrapped package is then placed in a'lower section of a mold, the upper section is ,then brought over the lower section as appears in FIG- salt content of approximately twenty percent by volume of the solution and for a period of time long enough for the'solution to pass into the meat sections, the time being -on the order of 20 hours soaking time for a brine solution having a salt content of approximately 20 percent by volume of the solution, bringing the sections together to form a single mass of the sections, compressing the sec- 'tions into a shape of a re ular order with the'pressure being such as to produce said shape without destroying the :fibrous and cellular nature of the meat, subjecting the mass in said shape and under said compression to a temperature such that it causes the internal temperature of the sections to reach'160 F, the temperature of the heat to which the mass is subjected being equal to that proaluced by water at a temperature of approximately 170 TE. to boiling temperature, removing said mass after said internal temperature is reached and thereafter subjecting said mass while maintaining said compression to lower temperatures until an internal meat temperature of 40 is attained, and thereafter freezing said sections in said shape.

2. The process for preparing a ready to eat bone-less package of poultry including the steps of removing the skin and limbs from a poultry carcass and separating the :meat of the carcass into relatively large sections, soaking several such meat sections in a brine solution for a time .suificient for the solution to passinto said sections, the brine content and soaking time being equivalent to that produced by soaking in a solution having a salt content of twenty percent of saltby volume for a period of approximately twenty hours, bringing the .sections together to form a single mass of the sections, compressing the URE 6, and the two mold sections are'brought together so as to compress the meat intothe aforesaid shape. The

mold with the compressed meat therein is then inserted in a vessel ofwater at a'temperature of 190" F. The temperature of this' water is maintained and the mold is left in the cooking vessel until aninternal. meat teinperature' of 160 F. is attained. This heat is insufficient to .c'ause charr'ing, browning or discoloration of the meat sections. j

Themold is then removed from the vessel and placed it in a refrigerator Zduntil the internaltemperature of the meat reaches40 F; When this temperature is reached,

removed from the mold and the wrapperis removed from ;-"the meat. Themeat is then Wrappedin a'saleable wraps. per, as appears inFlGURE 9, and frozen. p After freezing the completed package isready for sale I and consumption.

Whereas I have shown and describedan operative form of the invention, it should be understood that this The scope of the invention Iclaim:

the scope ofthe hereinafter sections into a shape of a regular order with the pressure being such as to produce said shape without destroying the fibrous and cellular nature of the meat, subjecting the duced'by Water at 'a temperature of approximately 170 toboiling'temperature, removing said mass after said internal temperature is reached and thereafter subjecting said shape.

the. two moldhalves areseparated, the wrapped meat is said masswhile maintaining said-compression to lower temperatures until an internal meat temperature of 40 Fist-attained, and thereafter freezing said sections in 3. The method of claim 2 wherein" said sections are wrapped in'paper before compression thereof and before said shape is subjectedto said elevated; temperatures, and

4. The method of claim 2 wherein sa'id sections are wrapped in relatively large sections of the removed skin of said carcass and left completely wrapped in a sheet of visking paper, the wrappingof SaidLsectiQnsbeing performedafter saidsections'are soaked insaidbrine solu- IL'The iproces'slfor preparing aready tojeat boneless package of poultry including the stepsof removing the skin I and limbs, from a poultry carcass and separating the meat T of the carcass into relatively large sections, soaking 7 several such meat sections in a brine solution having a i tion and before said sections are moldedand subjected to said elevated temperature ,v I

References 'Qited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS- 2,640,779- George l v June 2, 1953 2,779;681' Sell et a1. Ian; 29, 1957 2,808,335? Pierce; Oct; 1, 1957 Luc hese Sept. 23, 1958 

1. THE PROCESS FOR PREPARING A READY TO EAT BONELESS PACKAGE OF POULTRY INCLUDING THE STEPS OF REMOVING THE SKIN AND LIMBS FROM A POULTRY CARCASS AND SEPARATING THE MEAT OF THE CARCASS INTO RELATIVELY LARGE SECTIONS, SOAKING SEVERAL SUCH MEAT SECTIONS IN A BRINE SOLUTION HAVING A SALT CONTENT OF APPROXIMATELY TWENTY PERCENT BY VOLUME OF THE SOLUTION AND FOR A PERIOD OF TIME LONG ENOUGH FOR THE SOLUTION TO PASS INTO THE MEAT SECTIONS, THE TIME BEING ON THE ORDER OF 20 HOURS SOAKING TIME FOR A BRINE SOLUTION HAVING A SALT CONTENT OF APPROXIMATELY 20 PERCENT BY VOLUME OF THE SOLUTION, BRINGING THE SECTIONS TOGETHER TO FORM A SINGLE MASS OF THE SECTIONS COMPRESSING THE SECTIONS INTO A SHAPE OF A REGULAR ORDER WITH THE PRESSURE BEING SUCH AS TO PRODUCE SAID SHAPE WITHOUT DESTROYING THE FIBROUS AND CELLULAR NATURE OF THE MEAT, SUBJECTING THE MASS IN SAID SHAPE AND UNDER SAID COMPRESSION TO A TEMPERATURE SUCH THAT IT CAUSES THE INTERNAL TEMPERATURE OF THE SECTION TO REACH 160*F., THE TEMPERATURE OF THE HEAT TO WHICH THE MASS IS SUBJECTED BEING EQUAL TO THAT PRODUCED BY WATER AT A TEMPERATURE OF APPROXIMATELY 170* F. TO BOILING TEMPERATURE, REMOVING SAID MASS AFTER SAID INTERNAL TEMPERATURE IS REACHED AND THEREAFTER SUBJECTING SAID MASS WHILE MAINTAINING SAID COMPRESSION TO LOWER TEMPERATURES UNTIL AN INTERNAL MEAT TEMPERATURE OF 40* F. IS ATTAINED AND THEREAFTER FREEZING SAID SECTIONS IN SAID SHAPE. 